This invention is concerned with a device which is used to aide persons seeking to practice and work on enhancing their soccer skills. The device is a soccer goal using an energy absorbing net which slows the velocity and rate of speed of a ball before returning it in a controlled manner to the kicker.
It is known in the prior art that soccer nets can be used in a manner in which they rebound balls to the player that is kicking the ball into the net and/or persons in the general vicinity of the net. U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,546 (the '546 Patent), to Caruso, discloses an Apparatus for Rebounding Balls. According to the '546 Patent, “[n]umerous innovations for rebound apparatus have been provided in the prior art . . . ”. (See the '546 Patent, Column 1, Lines 10-11). The invention described in the '546 Patent is an apparatus for rebounding balls that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
The '546 Patent discloses an invention that includes “a frame and a net structure within the frame, and has an upright position, a rear down position, and a front down position so as to allow the apparatus to be used in a variety of positions.” See the '546 Patent, Column 2, Lines 38-41). The preferred embodiment of the net disclosed in the '546 Patent has a frame made of tubular steel. See the '546 Patent, Column 4, Lines 12-19). The net disclosed and claimed in the '546 Patent has a front and rear section, each with netting contained within that allows for the rebounding of balls hit into the net from the opposite sides.
The current invention has several notable differences not disclosed or claimed in the '546 Patent. Most notably, there is no energy absorbing pocket or any equivalent structure or component on the top of the net disclosed in the '546 Patent. There is arguably not even a way to incorporate such a feature on this net as its frame is remarkably different from that in the present invention. The frame in the '546 Patent seems to have front and rear net sections which are connected in a U like manner at the apex of the frame. This is different from the X shaped frame of the present invention which allows sufficient space for energy absorbing pocket to be placed on the top of the net. The '546 net would not be able to contain a ball if it rolled above the net nor would the net be able to absorb the balls energy and return it in a controlled manner. It is significantly this feature of the present invention which distinguishes it from the prior art net described in the '546 Patent. The energy absorbing pocket in essence corrects a flaw in the invention disclosed and claimed in the '546 Patent as that invention does not have the ability to control the return of balls which go above the net after being directed upwards.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,083 (the '083 Patent) to Grunfeld, discloses a Soccer goal with a rebounding net for returning the ball to the kicker. The net disclosed in the '083 Patent has a frame formed by a pair of vertical posts and a long horizontal tube. The horizontal tube is basically two bars that telescope into a connector which joins them together. It has hooks that secure it and a resiliently stretchable rope used to help increase net tension. The rebounding effect of the net disclosed in the '083 Patent takes place due to the increased tension in the net. The tension can be increased and decreased by adjusting the stretchable cord. Portability is another disclosed feature of the device described and claimed in the '083 Patent.
Portability is another disclosed feature of the device described and claimed in the '083 Patent. The '083 Patent claims not only a rebounding soccer goal, but a method of assembling a rebounding soccer goal as well. The method of making the net in the present invention has not been disclosed and should be compared with that in the '083 Patent, to wit, the method in claim 5. Such being the case, no representation is made herein regarding the novelty of the net of the present invention and/or its possible infringement upon the method for making the net claimed in the '083 Patent.
The net disclosed in the '083 Patent is different in a number of ways from that in the present invention. Most notably, the utilization of a net with tension in order to rebound the ball is a significant difference. The net of the present invention does not work in such a manner as to rely on net tension, but rather, it is arguable that the energy absorbing pocket does the opposite, it relies on a lack of tension to absorb the ball's energy and subsequently uses gravity in order to rebound the ball. As a result, the rebound effect is slightly more delayed and controlled. Once again it is the energy absorbing pocket that differentiates the net of the present invention from the prior art net.
The prior art nets rebound a ball in a manner such that the ball was rebounded upwardly, or straight. The prior art nets do not rebound a ball downwardly. Those nets that do rebound downwardly utilize an intricate methodology that frustrates portability. The prior art soccer goals have more emphasis on fast and uncontrolled rebounding, rather than controlled slower rebounding. This is mainly because high net tension was used as the rebound mechanism. Looser nets were not useful for prior art nets as their ability to rebound using the mechanisms these nets employed, to wit, upward and straight rebounding, as a looser net would not be able to rebound as efficiently when employing said mechanisms.
However, it has not been possible heretofore to efficiently and easily rebound a ball in a controlled manner so that the ball will more easily return to the kicker. The prior art nets teach away from the type of ball return utilized by the current invention. They rely on the premise that the energy and velocity of the ball should not be absorbed and reduced but rather, that rebounding and redirecting the energy and velocity of the ball is an important method of teaching as it increases reflex response time and ball handling instincts.
More important, it has not been possible heretofore to send a ball back to the kicker in a controlled manner without relying on “Rube Goldberg” like contraptions. U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,152 (the '152 Patent) to Mancke, discloses an apparatus for facilitating the teaching and practice of soccer related skills. The invention disclosed and claimed in the '152 Patent is a cumbersome system which does anticipate and disclose a slower ball return but uses an extensive process using elevated target boards and target apertures through which controlled ball return is accomplished. The present invention accomplishes controlled ball return in a more efficient manner and is more conducive to portability than the invention disclosed and claimed in the '152 Patent.